I don't really feel the need to follow such things much anymore. It's always the same old gradu: God is punishing is for allowing same sex marriage/abortion, children aren't being raised with religious values, yadda yadda. I can't even remember the last time I heard something unusual in this regard.

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[On how kangaroos could have gotten back to Australia after the flood]: Don't kangaroos skip along the surface of the water? --Kenn

I will say that I didnt hear any of what you mentioned, instead just a bunch of cherry picked scriptures (from the Abrahamic religions, all three) about how gawd is love and things like the bombing bring people together... So they can insulate themselves against the inconvenient truth that their holy books demand such actions.

Saddens me, because at moments like this is the time we need to investigate what might cause this shit to happen

I seriously think Obama is likely an atheist, and the public displays of "faith" are for the beneift of the population, not a legitimate indication of his personal beliefs. It's speculative, sure, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I have no supporting evidence, just an impression.

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“Be skeptical. But when you get proof, accept proof.” –Michael Specter

I seriously think Obama is likely an atheist, and the public displays of "faith" are for the beneift of the population, not a legitimate indication of his personal beliefs. It's speculative, sure, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I have no supporting evidence, just an impression.

That's my view as well. He almost never talks about his personal religious beliefs, and he also almost never mentions God in any of his speeches or addresses, regardless of the topic (save for the obligatory "God bless America" at the end, of course). We also note that in every Thanksgiving address he's made since taking office as President, his address has been completely secular, with no mention of God in any way at all -- a practice that he has continued every year despite the predictable cries of outrage from the Religious Right. He never says that God advised him to pursue a particular course of action or that we should pursue a course of action because it is God's will, etc etc etc. All of this is in stark contrast to most other presidents in recent memory. Even Clinton's public behavior wasn't as secular as Obama's is.

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[On how kangaroos could have gotten back to Australia after the flood]: Don't kangaroos skip along the surface of the water? --Kenn

I seriously think Obama is likely an atheist, and the public displays of "faith" are for the beneift of the population, not a legitimate indication of his personal beliefs. It's speculative, sure, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I have no supporting evidence, just an impression.

I wouldnt be surprised either. At first this statement (and the thread in the general forum) reminded me of what magic miles said in that one thread about all of us believing in Gawd but there is a difference. The difference would be in the evidence. Theres evidence in some of the things Obama has said that is identical to arguments made here AGAINST christianity. However, at the same time, my definition of a christian is simply "one who self identifies his/herself as a christian" and that makes him one.

I guess its unimportant as long as he doesnt filter policy through it...

I seriously think Obama is likely an atheist, and the public displays of "faith" are for the beneift of the population, not a legitimate indication of his personal beliefs. It's speculative, sure, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

Hey Nick, I didn't know that. Although it's still anecdotal, it does add another piece to the equation. we'll probably never know for sure, but as pianodwarf mentioned, his words have a strong flavor of non-belief if you pay attention.

And Gawd, you make a good point about the possibility of being a bot. That's still more evidence than I've ever seen for that other guy.

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“Be skeptical. But when you get proof, accept proof.” –Michael Specter

Hey Nick, I didn't know that. Although it's still anecdotal, it does add another piece to the equation. we'll probably never know for sure, but as pianodwarf mentioned, his words have a strong flavor of non-belief if you pay attention.

And Gawd, you make a good point about the possibility of being a bot. That's still more evidence than I've ever seen for that other guy.

Well I didn't know that either. So I googled! And I got:

Dunham's daughter, Maya Soetoro-Ng, when asked later if her mother was an atheist, said, "I wouldn't have called her an atheist. She was an agnostic. She basically gave us all the good books—the Bible, the Hindu Upanishads and the Buddhist scripture, the Tao Te Ching—and wanted us to recognize that everyone has something beautiful to contribute."[33] "Jesus, she felt, was a wonderful example. But she felt that a lot of Christians behaved in un-Christian ways."[67] On the other hand, Maxine Box, Dunham's best friend in high school, said that Dunham "touted herself [then] as an atheist, and it was something she'd read about and could argue. She was always challenging and arguing and comparing. She was already thinking about things that the rest of us hadn't."[6]

^ Obama, Barack (16 October 2006). "My spiritual journey". Time. Retrieved 5 March 2008. "My father was almost entirely absent from my childhood, having been divorced from my mother when I was 2 years old; in any event, although my father had been raised a Muslim, by the time he met my mother he was a confirmed atheist, thinking religion to be so much superstition."

Sayings like "our prayers are with them" can serve the purpose of telling people what they want to hear without being a personal statement of faith. If Obama came out and said "My heart cries out to God in a time like this, and I am praying for each and every person affected by these disasters" - that would be a little different. Not sure - has he personalised his statements like that in the past?

Parental influences are obviously huge, but not necessarily always. The strongest Christians I know grew up in entirely non religious households.

An observation - video I have seen of the Boston explosion and the Texas explosion both feature a voiceover littered with "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God". Perhaps they were believers. Perhaps that's simply a common default exclamation of shock, repeated because its used so frequently.

Dear heavenly Father, I come to you this day thanking you for the many Blessings. I am heavy hearted for all the people that has been involved in both explosions, in Ma. and Texas. Lord I know these things happen sometimes for a reason, I believe our people need to get back with you our Lord and Savior. More and more, the signs that's told to us in Revelation, are coming harder and closer together. We need you more and more, if only people will give it all to you. Asking for comfort and your love for these people. I am so thankful, I can come to you with everything, without you I would be nothing. In your name I pray, Amen

* sigh *

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John 14:2 :: In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

^Do they realize that if the predictions in Revelation come true that the death toll when Jesus returns will be much greater than what was lost in Boston and Texas? Add on top of that plagues and torture and Jesus can just keep himself far far away from whatever planet I happen to be on at the moment. I say that not only for my own safety but for the safety of everyone else from that violent god.

I seriously think Obama is likely an atheist, and the public displays of "faith" are for the beneift of the population, not a legitimate indication of his personal beliefs. It's speculative, sure, but it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I have no supporting evidence, just an impression.

That's my view as well. He almost never talks about his personal religious beliefs, and he also almost never mentions God in any of his speeches or addresses, regardless of the topic (save for the obligatory "God bless America" at the end, of course). We also note that in every Thanksgiving address he's made since taking office as President, his address has been completely secular, with no mention of God in any way at all -- a practice that he has continued every year despite the predictable cries of outrage from the Religious Right. He never says that God advised him to pursue a particular course of action or that we should pursue a course of action because it is God's will, etc etc etc. All of this is in stark contrast to most other presidents in recent memory. Even Clinton's public behavior wasn't as secular as Obama's is.

Just like Lincoln. Lincoln seemed to be a Strong-Atheist before he got into politics then, apparently, became a Weak-Christian when he entered politics.

Dear heavenly Father, I come to you this day thanking you for the many Blessings. I am heavy hearted for all the people that has been involved in both explosions, in Ma. and Texas. Lord I know these things happen sometimes for a reason, I believe our people need to get back with you our Lord and Savior. More and more, the signs that's told to us in Revelation, are coming harder and closer together. We need you more and more, if only people will give it all to you. Asking for comfort and your love for these people. I am so thankful, I can come to you with everything, without you I would be nothing. In your name I pray, Amen

* sigh *

Sometimes religious people need to know when "nothing" may be the best thing to say or that their vocal prayers are not welcome. I called a customer service rep to arrange for payment alterations because of having horrible financial and health problems and this woman says "But there is so much to be thankful for" before she transferred be on hold again for the next person. I almost never complain about people because I don't want to endanger anyone's job but I did tell the next person I spoke with that I thought that woman's comment was completely ill-timed and inappropriate.

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It doesn't make sense to let go of something you've had for so long. But it also doesn't make sense to hold on when there's actually nothing there.